London
1. First mention the general facts about London
London is the capital city of the UK. It is situated on the river Thames in southeast England. London is a huge metropolis; its population is 10 million (with suburbs). There are two cities in the centre of London: the City of London and the City of Westminster.
IT IS KNOWN AS THE GREEN CAPITAL, because it has many large parks! Very known is the HYDE PARK. It is in the centre of London and it is very large and beautiful. People can ride a bike, go skating, make a picknick, relax and many more.
It has many attractions. We can see them by walk or by various ways of transport. We can either go by bus, especially by one of the famous - red double Decker, or by underground. It is the oldest underground in the world, which has 11 lines. There are also three airports in London, including Heathrow, which is the busiest airport in the world
London is the capital and largest city of England and Great Britain. It is the seat of central government and one of the world's leading commercial and cultural centres.
Its history and architecture, mainly the strong architectural influence of Sir Christopher Wren (1632 - 1723) and John Nash (1752 - 1835), attract millions of tourists from overseas each year.
London has a population of about 6.75 million. It has declined from about 8 million because of immigration from inner city areas to outer suburbs.
There are two cities in the centre of London: the City of London and the City of Westminster.
2. Enumerate and depict places of interest in London
The City of London
The City of London, the oldest part of the town, is not far from the River Thames.
East of the City is the East End where the docks are situated.
The West End is famous for its shops, theatres and cinemas. There are a lot of sights in the City.
William built the Conqueror The Tower of London in the 11th century. It was once of royal palace, then prison, and was once even a royal zoo there. It is a museum now and famous for the Bloody Tower, Traitors' Gate, the ravens, Crown Jewels, the Armouries and the Yeoman Warders called Beefeaters. The ceremony of the Keys takes place at 21.40 every night. The Chief Warder who is accompanied by an escort of Guards carries out of the 700-year ceremonial locking of the main gates of the Tower.
Tower Bridge - is another famous landmark. There are several exhibitions in the two main towers, which give an inside into history. The bridge "breaks" in the middle to allow tall ships through.
St. Paul's Cathedral - is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. In 1981 Charles and Diana were married here. After climbing 311 steps, you have a marvellous view from top of the Monument, which commemorates the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The city of Westminster
Is known as the centre of political and administrative life of Great Britain.
The Houses of Parliament on the left bank of the Thames was rebuilt in the Gothic style on the site of the Palace of Westminster, which was destroyed by fire in 1834. One part of the original building - Westminster Hall dating from 1097 - is still there.
Big Ben is the bell of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament.
It was made and called after Sir Benjamin Hall, one of ministers, whom did people call Big Ben. The tower is 97 metres height.
Many English kings and queens have been crowned and buried in Westminster Abbey.
Famous British writers, scholars, dramatists and poets are buried in Poets´ Corner.
Buckingham Palace is the London home of the Queen. Since 1993 parts of the Palace have been opened to the public, including the Queen's Picture Gallery.
No.10, Downing Street, has been the official residence of the prime Minister since 1715.
Other places of interest in London: Dickens House, St. Martin - in - the - fields - church on Trafalgar Square, New Scotland Yard and The Old Royal Observatory.
Shopping and entertainment
London is a wonderful place to go shopping.
London's best-known shopping streets in the West End are Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street and Piccadilly, a busy street running from Piccadilly Circus to Hyde Park Corner. Once a famous fruit and vegetable market Covent Garden,. There are about 100 theatres in the capital. The most famous are the National Theatre, and the Globe Theatre, where William Shakespeare acted.
The Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet perform at the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden. The British Museum house is major archaeological and ethnographical collections.
The West End is famous for its shops and placer of entertainment. Here we can find most of London´s theatres, cinemas nad night clubs.
The hearth of London´s entertainment is Piccadilly Circus.
In the National Gallery in the Trafalgar Square the collection of Western painting from the 13th to the 20th centuries. Fossils and examples of living plants and animals, minerals, gems, rocks and meteorites can be found in the Natural History Museum. In Madame Tussand´s, wax portraits of famous and infamous world figures are on display. In Hyde Park you can swim, or row on the Serpentine Lake or go horse riding in Rotten Row. Hyde Park together with Kensington Gardens are the largest green areas in central London.
3. What are the typical or main means of London transport?
London Transport
London's Underground, often called the Tube, is the quickest and easiest way to get around central London. Taxis are a very popular means of transport in London and so are red
Double-decker buses. London has a three main airports: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Heathrow is the world's busiest airport for passengers and airfreight. Gatwick is used for many chartered "holiday" flights.
4. Important and well-known personalities coming from London
Isaac Newton - a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer
James Watt - a Scottish engineer who invented the steam engine
George Stephenson - constructed the first steam locomotive
Charles Darwin - Britain's greatest biologist, founder of the theory of evolution
Sir Alexander Fleming - discovered penicillin, was awarded Nobel Price for medicine in 1945